Cover latch of a blade server

ABSTRACT

A cover latch is provided for coupling a blade server cover to a blade server when the cover latch is in a locked state. Embodiments include a locking surface and a user interface; wherein when the cover latch is in the locked state, the locking surface engages a locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; wherein when the cover latch is in an unlocked state, the user interface is rotated into the blade server and the locking surface is rotated outward from the blade server, wherein when the locking surface is rotated outward from the blade server, the locking surface is disengaged from the locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; and a rotational limiter hole in the cover latch that surrounds a peg of the blade server, wherein the rotation of the locking surface and the user interface is limited by the rotational limiter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of and claims priorityfrom U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/892,164, filed on Sep. 28,2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically,apparatuses that include a cover latch of a blade server.

2. Description of Related Art

A blade sever cover may be attached to a blade server to protect thecomponents of the blade server. A cover latch may be used to couple theblade server cover to the blade server. Conventional cover latchestypically require the securing mechanism of the cover latch to move intothe blade server thereby preventing the placement of blade servercomponents in that area. Restricting component placement within theblade server limits the resources of the blade server. There istherefore an ongoing need for a new cover latch for a blade server.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A cover latch is provided for coupling a blade server cover to a bladeserver when the cover latch is in a locked state. Embodiments include alocking surface at one end of the cover latch; a user interface at anend of the cover latch opposite from the end with the locking surface;wherein when the cover latch is in the locked state, the locking surfaceengages a locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; whereinwhen the cover latch is in an unlocked state, the user interface isrotated into the blade server and the locking surface is rotated outwardfrom the blade server, wherein when the locking surface is rotatedoutward from the blade server, the locking surface is disengaged fromthe locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; and arotational limiter hole in the cover latch that surrounds a peg of theblade server, wherein the rotation of the locking surface and the userinterface is limited by the rotational limiter.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be apparent from the following more particulardescriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generallyrepresent like parts of exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 sets forth a diagram of an apparatus that includes a cover latchfor coupling a blade server cover to a blade server according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 sets forth an exemplary embodiment of a cover latch for couplinga blade server cover to a blade server according to embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3A sets forth an exemplary apparatus that includes a cover latchfor coupling a blade server cover to a blade server according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3B sets forth an alternative view of the apparatus of FIG. 3A thatincludes a cover latch for coupling a blade server cover to a bladeserver according to embodiments of the present invention

FIG. 4 sets forth an exemplary apparatus that includes a cover latch forcoupling a blade server cover to a blade server according to embodimentsof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

An exemplary apparatus that includes a cover latch for coupling a bladeserver cover to a blade server in accordance with the present inventionis described with reference to the accompanying drawings, beginning withFIG. 1. FIG. 1 sets forth a diagram of an apparatus that includes acover latch (170) for coupling a blade server cover (160) to a bladeserver (150) according to embodiments of the present invention.

The blade server (150) of FIG. 1 is a stripped down computer server witha modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space.Typical blade servers have many components of a computer removed to savespace, minimize power consumption, and other considerations, while stillhaving all the functional components (180) to be considered a computer.The blade server (150) of FIG. 1 may be stored in a bay of a bladechassis, which provides services, such as power, cooling, networking,various interconnects and management to each blade server in a bay. Ablade server chassis may be a 12.25-inch box that, from the front,contains as many as 14 slide-in blade servers. Blade servers use sharedcomponents in the blade server chassis, such as power supplies andremote management consoles, reducing the components necessary in eachindividual blade server.

The blade server cover (160) of FIG. 1 may be coupled to the bladeserver (150) to protect the components (180) of the blade server (150).Rails (194) of the blade server cover (160) are coupled to the rails(192) of the blade server (150) by the cover latch (170).

The cover latch (170) of FIG. 1 includes a locking surface (102) at oneend of the cover latch (170). The locking surface (102) is shaped as ahalf cylindrical cone. However, the locking surface (102) according tothe present invention may be any shape that enables the locking surface(102) to engage a corresponding locking surface enclosure (190) of theblade server cover (160). When the cover latch (170) is in a lockedstate, the locking surface (102) engages the locking surface enclosure(190) of the blade server cover (160).

The cover latch (170) of FIG. 1 includes a user interface (104) at anend that is opposite to the end of the cover latch (170) that includesthe locking surface (102). The user interface (104) of FIG. 1 is shapedas a square surface, however, the user interface (104) according to thepresent invention may be any shape that enables a user to push the userinterface (104). The user interface (104) of FIG. 1 is coupled to thelocking surface (102) such that rotating the user interface (104) intothe blade server (150) causes the locking surface (102) to rotateoutward from the blade server (150). To rotate the user interface (104)into the blade server, the user interface (104) is depressed by a user.When the locking surface (102) is rotated outward from the blade server(150), the locking surface (102) disengages from the locking surfaceenclosure (190) of the blade server cover (160), enabling the bladeserver cover (160) to be removed from the blade server (150).

FIG. 2 sets forth an exemplary embodiment of a cover latch (270) forcoupling a blade server cover (160) to a blade server (150) according toembodiments of the present invention. The cover latch (270) includes thelocking surface (102) and the user interface (102) of the cover latch(170) of FIG. 1. The cover latch (270) of FIG. 2 also includes arotational limiter hole (210), a pivot hole (208), and a lever (206)that are not illustrated as components of the cover latch (170) ofFIG. 1. The example cover latch (270) of FIG. 2 is one piece. That is,the locking surface (102), the user interface (104), the rotationallimiter hole (210), the pivot hole (208), and the lever (206) areintegrated into a single piece of the cover latch (270).

The rotational limiter hole (210) of FIG. 2 is shaped to surround a pegof the blade server (150). The shape of the rotational limiter hole(210) limits the movement of the cover latch (170) relative to anattached blade server. The movement of the peg of the blade serverwithin the rotational limiter hole (210) corresponds to the limit ofrotation of the locking surface (102) and the user interface (104).Thus, the interaction between the rotational limiter hole (210) and thepeg of the blade server controls the degree of rotation of the lockingsurface (102) and the user interface (104). The rotational limiter hole(210) limits the rotation of the locking surface (102) and the userinterface (104) based on a size of area between the rotational limiterhole (210) and a peg of a blade server. For example, one end of therotational limiter hole (210) controls how far the locking surface (102)rotates outward from the locking surface enclosure of the blade servercover relative to the peg and the other end of the rotational limiterhole (210) limits how far the locking surface (102) rotates inwardtowards the locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover relativeto the peg. The size of the rotational limiter hole (210) may beselected to enable the minimal amount of rotation of the locking surface(102) that is required to release the locking surface (102) from alocking surface enclosure of a blade server cover. By limiting theamount of rotation of the locking surface (102) and the user interface(104), the amount of intrusion into the blade server is reduced,enabling more room for components within the blade server.

The pivot hole (208) of FIG. 2 attaches the cover latch (270) to a bladeserver. The pivot hole (208) is a hole for surrounding a peg of theblade server. In addition to coupling the cover latch (270) to a bladeserver, the pivot hole (208) acts as a pivot upon which the lockingsurface (102) and the user interface (104) rotate.

The lever (206) of the cover latch (270) may be spring biased away froma blade server to keep the cover latch (270) in the locked state. Forexample, absent a user pressing on the user interface (104), the lever(208) applies a force to the rail of the blade server that keeps theuser interface (104) rotated outward away from the blade server andkeeps the locking surface (102) rotated inward to engage the lockingsurface enclosure of a blade server cover.

FIG. 3A sets forth an exemplary apparatus that includes a cover latchfor coupling a blade server cover to a blade server (150) according toembodiments of the present invention. The cover latch of FIG. 3A is in alocked state. In the locked state, the locking surface (102) is rotatedinto the blade server (150) and the user interface (104) is rotatedoutwards from the blade server (150) such that the locking surface (102)is in a position to engage a locking surface enclosure of a blade servercover. For example, if a blade server cover is in position over theblade server (150) when the cover latch is in a locked state, a lockingsurface enclosure would enclose the locking surface (102), preventingthe blade server cover from decoupling from the blade server (150).

FIG. 3B sets forth an alternative view of the apparatus of FIG. 3A thatincludes a cover latch for coupling a blade server cover to a bladeserver (150) according to embodiments of the present invention. That is,the apparatus of FIG. 3B is similar to the apparatus of FIG. 3A in thatit includes a cover latch in a locked state with the locking surface(102) and the user interface (104) integrated within the rail (192) of ablade server (150). The alternative view illustrated in FIG. 3B showsthe area of the user interface (104) that a user depresses to unlock thecover latch. The user interface (104) of FIG. 3B may include a raisedsurface for the user to press. In the locked state, the user interface(104) and the locking surface (102) are substantially parallel with therail (192) of the blade server (150).

FIG. 4 sets forth an exemplary apparatus that includes a cover latch forcoupling a blade server cover to a blade server (150) according toembodiments of the present invention. The cover latch of FIG. 4 is in anunlocked state. In the unlocked state, the locking surface (102) isrotated outwards away from the blade server (150) and the user interface(104) is rotated into the blade server (150) such that the lockingsurface (102) is not in a position to engage a locking surface enclosureof a blade server cover. For example, if a blade server cover is inposition over the blade server (150) when the cover latch is in anunlocked state, the locking surface (102) would not be enclosed by alocking surface enclosure and thus the blade server cover would be freeto decouple from the blade server (150). The cover latch may betransitioned from a locked state to an unlocked state by a user pressingthe user interface (104). The cover latch may be returned to the lockedstate by the user releasing pressure from the user interface (104).

It will be understood from the foregoing description that modificationsand changes may be made in various embodiments of the present inventionwithout departing from its true spirit. The descriptions in thisspecification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to beconstrued in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention islimited only by the language of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover latch for coupling a blade server coverto a blade server when the cover latch is in a locked state, the coverlatch comprising: a locking surface at one end of the cover latch; auser interface at an end of the cover latch opposite from the end withthe locking surface; wherein the locking surface and the user interfacerotate relative to the blade server based on engagement of the lockingsurface with a locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; arotational limiter hole in the cover latch that surrounds a peg of theblade server, wherein the rotation of the locking surface and the userinterface is limited by the rotational limiter.
 2. The cover latch ofclaim 1, wherein the cover latch is one piece.
 3. The cover latch ofclaim 1, wherein the rotational limiter hole limits the rotation of thelocking surface and the user interface based on a size of area betweenthe rotational limiter hole and the peg.
 4. The cover latch of claim 1,further comprising a lever that is spring biased away from a rail of theblade server to keep the cover latch in a locked state.
 5. The coverlatch of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a button for auser to push.
 6. The cover latch of claim 1, further comprising a pivothole that attaches the cover latch to the blade server and acts as apivot upon which the locking surface and the user interface rotate. 7.The cover latch of claim 1, wherein the cover latch is integrated into arail of a blade server.
 8. The cover latch of claim 7, wherein in alocked state, the user interface and the locking surface aresubstantially parallel with the rail of the blade server.
 9. The coverlatch of claim 7, wherein in a unlocked state, the locking surfaceextends outward from the rail of the blade server and the user interfaceextends in an opposite rotational direction from the locking surface,wherein the opposite rotational direction is inward into the bladeserver.
 10. A blade server assembly comprising: a blade server; a bladeserver cover; and a cover latch for coupling the blade server cover tothe blade server when the cover latch is in a locked state, the coverlatch comprising: a locking surface at one end of the cover latch; auser interface at an end of the cover latch opposite from the end withthe locking surface; wherein the locking surface and the user interfacerotate relative to the blade server based on engagement of the lockingsurface with a locking surface enclosure of the blade server cover; arotational limiter hole in the cover latch that surrounds a peg of theblade server, wherein the rotation of the locking surface and the userinterface is limited by the rotational limiter.
 11. The blade serverassembly of claim 10, wherein the cover latch is one piece.
 12. Theblade server assembly of claim 10, wherein the rotational limiter holelimits the rotation of the locking surface and the user interface basedon a size of area between the rotational limiter hole and the peg. 13.The blade server assembly of claim 10, further comprising a lever thatis spring biased away from a rail of the blade server to keep the coverlatch in a locked state.
 14. The blade server assembly of claim 10,wherein the user interface includes a button for a user to push.
 15. Theblade server assembly of claim 10, further comprising a pivot hole thatattaches the cover latch to the blade server and acts as a pivot uponwhich the locking surface and the user interface rotate.
 16. The bladeserver assembly of claim 10, wherein the blade server assembly fits in ablade server chassis.
 17. The blade server assembly of claim 10, whereinthe cover latch is integrated into a rail of a blade server.
 18. Theblade server assembly of claim 17, wherein in a locked state, the userinterface and the locking surface are substantially parallel with therail of the blade server.
 19. The blade server assembly of claim 17,wherein in a unlocked state, the locking surface extends outward fromthe rail of the blade server and the user interface extends in anopposite rotational direction from the locking surface, wherein theopposite rotational direction is inward into the blade server.
 20. Theblade server assembly of claim 10, wherein the blade server covershields components of the blade server.